title: Transforming growth factor-betas in neurodegenerative disease.
abstract: Transforming growth factors-betas (TGF-betas), a family of multifunctional peptide growth factors, affect cells of the central nervous system (CNS). The three mammalian TGF-beta isoforms, TGF-betas 1, 2 and 3, are expressed in adult human brain. Since neuronal degeneration is a defining feature of CNS degenerative diseases, TGF-beta may be important because it can influence neuronal survival. In vitro TGF-beta promotes survival of rat spinal cord motoneurons and dopaminergic neurons. In addition to direct effects on neuronal survival, TGF-beta treatment of cultured astrocytes induces a reactive phenotype. Thus, TGF-beta may also normalize the extracellular matrix environment in degenerative diseases. The expression of TGF-betas change in response to neuronal injury. TGF-beta 1 expression increases in astrocytes and microglia in animal models of cerebral ischemia, while TGF-beta 2 expression increases in activated astroglial cells in human neurodegenerative diseases. TGF-betas protect neurons from a variety of insults. TGF-beta maintains survival of chick telencephalic neurons made hypoxic by treatment with cyanide and decreases the area of infarction when administered in animal models of cerebral ischemia. In vitro TGF-beta protects neurons from damage induced by treatment with beta-amyloid peptide, FeSO4 (induces production of reactive oxygen species), Ca2+ ionophores, glutamate, glutamate receptor agonists and MPTP (toxic for dopaminergic neurons). TGF-beta maintains mitochondrial potential and Ca2+ homeostasis and inhibits apoptosis in neurons. TGF-beta does not prevent neuronal degeneration in a rat model of Parkinson's disease and has yet to be tested in newly developed transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. TGF-beta is a potent neuroprotective agent which may affect the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Chemoprevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-5055, USA. FLANDERK@DCE41.NCI.NIH.GOV
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Flanders
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Lippa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta